Jan Guenther Interview

Jan Guenther’s runs and owns the largest Cross Country ski retail store in the US. Jan is an owner who is involved in all aspects of the business and along with a great staff is directly responsible for the great success of the organization. Jan Guenther has been and continues to be an elite runner, cyclist, triathlete, and cross country ski racer. Despite having had participated in 30 American Birkebeiners, Jan was still an amazing 27th overall in the 2020 Birkie winning her age group and this was after two long days of working in the expo. We spoke about what prompted her to drop everything and start a ski and bike shop, the keys to the success of Gear West, the biggest challenges in running Gear West, balancing her work, athletic endeavors, and family, dealing with injury and setback, and industry trends. This interview will give a different perspective of the Nordic ski industry than the other podcasts in the series.